The present invention relates, in general, to semiconductor devices and, more particularly, to optoelectronic semiconductor devices.
Optical communications systems are comprised of light emission devices coupled to light detection devices via a plurality of optical fibers. The optical fibers are typically arranged as a bundle of fibers having a light receiving end and a light emitting end. The light receiving and emitting ends are housed in fiber ferrules. The fiber ferrule at the light receiving end of the bundle is coupled to the light emitting device via an optical interface unit. Likewise, the fiber ferrule at the light emitting end of the bundle is coupled to the light detecting device via an optical interface unit. Thus, an optical or light signal from the light emitting device is transmitted to the light detecting device through two optical interface units, two fiber ferrules, and the bundle of optical fibers.
A drawback of these systems is the large number of optical interface or coupling points through which the optical signals pass. In currently available systems, optical signals pass through at least four interfaces, i.e., interfaces between the optical interface units and the light emission and detection devices and interfaces between the optical interface units and the fiber ferrules. Each time the optical signal passes through an optical interface, a portion of the signal is lost, thereby degrading the quality of the signal received by the light detection device.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a method and device for coupling or interconnecting an optical fiber to light emission and detection devices that reduces the signal loss along an optoelectronic path. It would be of further advantage for the method and device to be cost efficient and easily manufacturable.